EEZ-Report-2016-11-11

Fish Landings from the United Kingdom’s Exclusive Economic Zone: by area, nationality and species content

Fish Landings from the United Kingdom’s Exclusive Economic Zone: by area, nationality and species

11th November 2016

EEZ report cover

A further analysis of fisheries data has been carried out at the request of the Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) to determine, so far as possible using the available data:

  • The quantities of fish caught within the United Kingdom’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by fishing boats of other European Union member states by nationality, area, and species.
  • How much of the total quantity of fish caught by EU fishing boats is caught within the UK EEZ.
  • The quantities of fish caught in the seas around the UK by non-EU fishing boats.

This follows a previous October 2016 analysis, also carried out at the request of the SFA, of data on fishing landings in the UK EEZ and by UK fishing boats in the EU EEZ.

Download the Report

Fish Landings from the United Kingdom’s Exclusive Economic Zone: by area, nationality and species (pdf)

Summary

A further analysis of fisheries data has been carried out to provide additional information on the quantities of fish caught within the United Kingdom’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by fishing boats of other European Union member states, and to assess the ‘importance’ of the UK EEZ to fishing boats of other EU member states (that is, what proportion of their total landings are caught in the UK EEZ).

The results of this analysis provide a more detailed breakdown of the landings of fish and shellfish from the UK EEZ and adjacent waters by EU fishing boats, broken down by nationality, fishing areas and species.

On average, for the years from 2012 to 2014, it is estimated that more than half of the landings from the UK EEZ were caught in the North Sea, one quarter to the west of Scotland, and most of the remainder (17%) to the south and southwest of England and Wales (including the Irish Sea).

Danish fishing boats caught one-third of all the fish and shellfish landed from the UK EEZ by EU boats (including one-third of the pelagic fish and three-quarters of the industrial fish), while French boats accounted for more than half of the demersal fish and almost half of the shellfish landed from the UK EEZ.

The fish and shellfish caught in the UK EEZ by non-UK EU fishing boats represented about 15% of the total (global) landings by the EU fishing fleet. The Belgian fishing fleet caught the highest proportion of its total landings of fish and shellfish – almost half – within the UK EEZ, although the total size of its catch was relatively small. The Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Germany all caught about one-third or more of their total landings in the UK EEZ.

The available data do not allow an estimate to be made of the quantities of fish and shellfish caught in the UK EEZ by non-EU fishing boats, such as those from Faroe and Norway. However, analysis of data for sea areas adjacent to the UK indicates that landings from these areas by non-EU boats are generally relatively small, suggesting that they are unlikely to be catching significant quantities in the UK EEZ.

Contact

Please direct enquiries to Dr Ian Napier.